Public transporters warned

Government says it will not hesitate to cancel operatorsâ€™ licenses for public transporters who flout set regulations during the festive season as the country makes efforts to reduce carnage on the roads.

The festive season is normally characterised by an increase in road traffic accidents, most of which have been attributed to human error as well as unroadworthy vehicles.

This has been worsened by bus operators who set unrealistic targets for their drivers.

The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Infrastructural Development held a meeting with public transport operators and their representatives to update them on latest efforts by the government to ensure that lives are not lost on the countryâ€™s roads.

The Ministryâ€™s Permanent Secretary, Mr Partson Mbiriri said government will not sit back and watch public transport operators endangering the lives of the public for personal gain.

â€œMost accidents are mainly attributed to human error so government will not hesitate revoking public transport operatorsâ€™ licenses if they flout any road rules,â€ said Mr Mbiriri.

While the government normally takes responsibility in many accidents which are declared national disasters, Mr Mbiriri warned the operators that plans are underway to ensure that any public transport operator whose bus would have been involved in the accident has to compensate the victimsâ€™ families.

The United Nations has declared 2011-2020 as the decade of action for road traffic safety.

However, latest statistics on road traffic accidents recorded during the Heroes and Defence Forces holidays indicate that Zimbabwe has to double its efforts to achieve that feat.

An estimated 3â€ˆ500 people die on the countryâ€™s roads annually.

Last Christmas, about 85 people perished in road accidents countrywide while 1â€ˆ075 others were injured.